Queer-Owned Coffee Shops in NYC That Hit Different
New York has no shortage of places to get a latte. But queer-owned spots hit differently because they’re not just selling coffee. They’re building something. Here are the ones worth knowing about.
Bluestockings Cooperative (Lower East Side, Manhattan)
Bluestockings has been a queer, feminist, and anti racist community anchor on the Lower East Side since 1999. In 2025 the physical storefront closed. A group of former workers, collective members, and volunteers came together to keep the mission alive online while raising funds for a new home in Lower Manhattan. Right now Bluestockings lives on the web as a shop, a membership community, and a curated space for radical reading lists on gender, sexuality, racial justice, and anarchism.
If you are visiting NYC, keep this one bookmarked for the reopening. In the meantime, their online store and event calendar are the best way to support the co op and stay in the loop. Check their website for updates on the new space and upcoming events.
Boyfriend Co-Op (Bushwick, Brooklyn)
Boyfriend Co-Op at 1157 Myrtle Avenue is a worker-owned queer coffee shop and cocktail bar that opened in Bushwick in 2025 and has already become a neighborhood anchor. The space is described by its own owners as a leftist space first, which means you’ll find community organizing materials next to the pastry case and a crowd that actually talks to each other. Coffee from 8 AM, cocktails take over in the evening. Open seven days a week with late hours on weekends. Worth the subway ride.
Cafe Con Libros (Crown Heights, Brooklyn)
A feminist bookstore and cafe, Cafe Con Libros at 724 Prospect Place in Crown Heights centers Black feminist thought in everything it does. The space is warm, the books are excellent, and the events program is genuinely community-rooted. If you’re looking for a spot that feels like the intersection of radical politics, good coffee, and Crown Heights neighborhood energy, this is it. Regular reading groups and workshops for women and femmes make it more than a coffee stop.
Gladys Books and Wine (Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn)
Gladys Books and Wine at 306 Malcolm X Boulevard is New York’s first Black lesbian bookstore and wine bar. Named for owner Tiffany Dockery’s grandmother, the upstairs is a beautifully curated bookstore with a café feel. The downstairs becomes a wine bar and event space in the evenings. Authors like Audre Lorde and James Baldwin anchor the shelves. Film screenings, discussions, and community mixers fill the calendar. Open Monday through Sunday with late hours on Friday and Saturday.
What Makes These Different
Every single one of these spaces has a safer-space policy. Gender-neutral bathrooms. A welcome for people who just need somewhere to sit for a while. Several run mutual aid programs alongside the coffee. That’s not accidental. It’s the point.
When you buy a coffee at a queer-owned shop, you’re not just getting caffeine. You’re part of the thing that keeps these places open. In a city where rents make it genuinely hard to survive, that matters. Go often, tip well, and stay as long as you like.